Minneapolis cop who shot Australian Justine Damond found guilty of second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder

A jury of 10 men and two women has found Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond in 2017 as she approached his squad car after calling 911.

Damond, 40, originally from Sydney, lived with her fiancé in an apartment. In 2017 she called 911 to report what she thought was a sexual assault behind the building. When police came, approached the car, wearing pajamas, to speak to the police.

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Noor’s partner, Matthew Harrity, testified that both officers were startled by a loud noise, then saw a figure with raised arm right outside their car window. That’s when Noor reached across his partner and shot, fearing an ambush.

Among the original charges was one for intentional second-degree murder, but was found not guilty, the Associated Press reported.

The third-degree murder charge means to kill someone “without regard for human life but without intent to cause” death, according to AP. Second-degree manslaughter is defined as “creating unreasonable risk of causing death or great bodily harm to another through culpable negligence,” the newswire said.

Noor could face 10 to 15 years in prison on the murder charge and 3.5 to five years on the manslaughter charge, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Noor, a Somali-American, is the first Minneapolis officer “in recent memory” to be convicted related to an on-duty shooting, the Star-Tribune said.

Noor was being held despite his lawyer’s protestations that he poses no danger or flight risk. He’s due back in court for sentencing June 7.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said he respected the verdict, painful as it was.

“I respect the verdict rendered,” he said in a statement posted by CBS affiliate WCCO. “As chief, I will ensure that the MPD learns from this case, and we will be in spaces to listen, learn and do all we can to help our communities in healing.”

He also apologized to Damond’s friends and family.

“This was indeed a sad and tragic incident that has affected family, friends, neighbors, the City of Minneapolis and people around the world, most significantly in her home country of Australia,” Arradondo said.

The local police union chief, Lt. Bob Kroll, concurred. “The Federation respects the legal process and the findings of the jury,” he said in a separate statement.

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But the Somali American Police Association (SAPA) called the verdict too harsh, especially given its rarity.

“SAPA believes the institutional prejudices against people of color, including officers of color, have heavily influenced the verdict of this case,” the association said in a statement. “The aggressive manner in which the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office went after Officer Noor reveals that there were other motives at play other than serving justice.”

While offering “condolences and prayers” to Damond’s loved ones and decrying the “devastating circumstances” that have decimated both families, the statement also expressed concern about dampening effects on police force diversity, especially given that Minneapolis has one of the largest Somali communities in the United States.

“SAPA fears the outcome of this case will have a devastating effect on police morale and make the recruitment of minority officers all the more difficult,” the association said.

The death of Damond, a yoga instructor and meditation teacher, at the hands of police made her passing all the more jarring to friends and neighbors, according to a profile in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.